BUJUMBURA March 7th (ABP) – The Burundian Revenue Office (OBR), organized on Thursday February 3 in Bujumbura, an exchange workshop on the rental income tax collection campaign for the 2021 financial year, at the place of the local administrative at the top of the Bujumbura City Council
The head of communication service at OBR, Mr. Fiacre Muhimpundu who represented the general commissioner of OBR in that meeting, indicated that the objective of this activity is to remind the administrative staff of the town hall of Bujumbura, that the rental income tax reporting period has started since January 1, 2022 and will end on March 2022.
According to Mr. Muhimpundu, the staff of the OBR cannot arrive everywhere. This is why this office seeks the support of the administration in its work to collect this rental tax which has been set by the government since 2016. The administrative authorities are thus called upon to intervene in the identification of all taxpayers of this tax. on rental income, given that they have a better understanding than the OBR of the houses and properties for rent in their neighborhoods and that they can know the rents there.
The government as manager of the whole population has provided categories of people exempt from this tax. He cited widowers, orphans, the elderly and pensioners. He added that these categories of exempt persons are also obliged to declare income, explaining that Burundian tax law is a declarative law. He further clarified that the OBR has the free forms in which the client fills in his category.
He also underlined that 40% of the tax collected goes to the account of the public treasury while 60% of this tax is paid into the accounts of the municipalities where the rented buildings are located, in proportion to the taxes on rental income collected in each municipality. He took this opportunity to invite each municipal administrator and all staff to raise awareness and ensure that all taxpayers pay the tax they owe.
The Bujumbura City Council which is one of the administrative entities with a lot of rental properties. She is more challenged by the OBR to get involved so that on March 31, we can maximize this tax. Collection will continue throughout the year, but with penalties for late declarations, i.e. from April 1. He informed that beyond March 31, any taxpayer liable for rental income tax will have to pay the tax due plus the fines which amount to 100 thousand BIF for natural persons and more than 100 thousand BIF for legal persons.
The participants expressed the wish to see the tax rates set by law reduced. Mr. Muhimpundu replied that it is the government that has the prerogative to proceed, if necessary, to change the applicable rates for each type of tax.
The participants in the meeting also mentioned the challenge of not listing all rental furniture to avoid any tax evasion.